Abstract
Purpose :
To estimate the prevalence and associations of keratoconus in a population in Russia with an age from early childhood to seniority.
Methods :
Based upon Scheimflug imaging, keratoconus was defined by a keratometric reading of ≥48 D in any eye.
Results :
The study included 4890 (99.1%) children with available keratometric readings out of 4933 children of the UCES, 5314 (90.1%) individuals out of 5899 individuals of the UEMS, and 651 (42.7%) out of 1526 individuals of the UVOS, respectively. The mean steep corneal refractive power and mean flat corneal refractive power increased from the UCES (43.58±1.50 diopters (D) and 42.70±1.42D, respectively) to the UEMS (44.26±1.70 D and 43.61 ± 1.76 D, resp.) and to the UVOS 45.1±1.72D and 43.98±1.68 D, resp.). Correspondingly, keratoconus prevalence increased form the UCES (42/4890;0.086%;95%CI:0.060,0.112) to the UEMS (112/5314;2.11%;95%CI:1.72,2.49) and to the UVOS (42/651;6.45%;95%CI:4.56,8.34). In the UCES, higher keratoconus prevalence was associated (multivariable analysis) with higher birth order (OR:2.34;95%CI:1.32,4.15;P=0.004), lower birth weight (OR:0.99;95%CI:0.99,0.99;P<0.001), and shorter axial length (OR: 0.15; 95%CI: 0.08, 0.30; P<0.001). In the UEMS, higher keratoconus prevalence correlated with shorter axial length (OR:0.15;95%CI:0.10,0.23;P<0.001), more myopic refractive error (OR:0.64;95%CI:0.56,0.73;P<0.001), higher cylindrical refractive error (OR:0.52;95%CI:0.41,0.73;P<0.001), thinner corneal thickness (OR:0.987;95%CI:0.980,0.995;P<0.001), larger corneal volume (OR:1.17;95%CI:1.09,1.25;P=0.001), thicker lens (OR:2.27;95%CI:1.06,5.28;P=0.04), cortical cataract degree (OR:1.02;95%CI:1.01,1.04;P=0.01), and higher stage of age-related macular degeneration (OR:1.65;95%CI:1.09,2.51;P=0.02), while it was not associated with age (P=0.93) or sex (P=0.48). In the UVOS, higher keratoconus prevalence correlated with lower educational level (OR:0.84;95%CI:0.71,0.99; =0.04) and lower dynamometric hand grip force (OR:0.92;95%CI:0.88,0.97;P=0.003).
Conclusions :
In this study on multiethnic groups from Russia, keratokonus prevalence increased from the pediatric group (0.09%) to the adult group (2.11%) and to the seniority group (6.45%), correlated mostly with biometric ocular parameters, and was in all age groups statistically independent of most systemic parameters.
This abstract was presented at the 2023 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in New Orleans, LA, April 23-27, 2023.